Former police officer given community control

A former Genoa Township police officer was sentenced to three years of community control and 200 hours of community service Monday morning (Dec. 17) after pleading “no contest” to a charge of unauthorized use of property.

Mark Wells, 60, appeared in Delaware County Common Pleas Court Monday (Dec. 17) to be sentenced for one count of unauthorized use of property, a fifth-degree felony. Wells initially pleaded “not guilty” to the charge at his arraignment, but he reached an agreement with prosecutors in November and pleaded “no contest” to the charge.

At his arraignment, prosecutors said that a number of Genoa Township police officers were called to a scene at one point while Wells was a police officer with the department, and prosecutors added that a detective in the department remotely accessed Wells’ computer to check his status and discovered that a video containing pornography was playing on the laptop.

On Monday (Dec. 17), Visiting Judge Timothy J. Campbell sentenced Wells to three years of community control for the charge and ordered him to serve 200 hours of community service.

Wells had been placed on administrative leave after allegations arose that he improperly used workplace technology while on shift, but during the course of the investigation, Wells retired. He had been with the department for nearly 30 years.

A pre-sentence investigation was conducted after Wells’ plea. He remained on bond throughout the duration of the case.

Genoa Township Administrator Paul Wise issued a statement on behalf of the township in April.

“Genoa Township maintains a high standard for conduct of its employees,” Wise said in the statement. “The Township immediately brought the matter regarding former employee Mark Wells to the Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney and appreciates the work that was done to make an indictment. Mark Wells is no longer an employee of the Township.